July Books
Aug. 4th, 2006 12:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
arenee1999These are the books I read in July, with my rating
The Tale of the Body Thief---Anne Rice (A)
In a new feat of hypnotic storytelling, Anne Rice continues the extraordinary Vampire Chronicles that began with the now classic Interview with the Vampire and continued with The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned. Lestat speaks. Vampire-hero, enchanter, seducer of mortals. For centuries he has been a courted prince in the dark and flourishing universe of the living dead. Lestat is alone. And suddenly all his vampire rationale - everything he has come to believe and feel safe with - is called into question. In his overwhelming need to destroy his doubts and his loneliness, Lestat embarks on the most dangerous enterprise he has undertaken in all the danger-haunted years of his long existence. The Tale of the Body Thief is told with the unique - the mesmerizing - passion, power, color, and invention that distinguish the novels of Anne Rice.
Dark Gaurdian---Christine Feehan (A)
After centuries of soulless existence as the dark guardian of his people, Lucian suddenly craves lady cop Jaxon Montgomery. Jaxx would sacrifice anything to shield others, particularly since a deadly menace dogs her every step. Oddly, Lucian, a born predator who ran with the wolves, vows to guard her for all time.
Possesion---Wendy Morgan (B-)
Dark Symphony---Christine Feehan (A)
Byron is a vampire killer, himself as old as time. Then came the haunting music, and the intoxicating scent of female flesh. Antonietta is an ageless beauty, arousing men's darkest desires. Her newest prey is her greatest obsession. Byron and Antonietta are perfect for each other. But who is the hunter - and who is the hunted?
Blood Trail---Tanya Huff (A)
The unique investigative duo from Blood Price--P.I. Vicki Nelson and 450-year-old vampire Henry Fitzroy--once again join forces to solve a crime of supernatural proportions in modern-day Canada. As silver bullets take their toll, Vicki and Henry fear they won't be able to stop a crazed killer.
The Lake House---James Patterson (A-)
Sequal to When the Wind Blows
"Six extraordinary children are trying to lead normal lives in the Rocky Mountain countryside. They live in different homes, with different families, but there is something powerful that connects them. Something that puts them in terrible danger. The only time they've ever felt safe was when they were together in the waterfront cabin they call the Lake House. And the only people they've ever trusted are Frannie and Kit, the couple who rescued them from unimaginable evil once before." When that evil resurfaces, the kids reconnect with Frannie and Kit and set off on an astonishing adventure. They flee to the Lake House, but even that haven may no longer be safe. Dr. Ethan Kane is chief of surgery at Liberty General Hospital, one of the most esteemed hospitals in the nation. It is here that terrible secrets lie, secrets that will change the world for all of us. All Fall Down---Erica Spindler (A+)
Melanie, Mia and Ashley are triplets dealing with the effects of an abusive childhood in Spindler's (Cause for Alarm) dark psychological thriller. Grown up and battling dysfunction, Mia's now married to a physically abusive doctor; Ashley has become a bitter man-hater; and Melanie is a divorced cop fighting for custody of her son. When a serial killer nicknamed the "Dark Angel" starts bumping off abusers who have gone unpunished by the legal system, Melanie begins her own investigation into the mysterious deaths. Most people, including world-famous FBI profiler Connor Parks, think the case is best left unsolved, but Mel is out to win the respect and cooperation of her peers, even if her findings take her too close to home for comfort
Dark Magic---Christine Feehan (A)
Young Savannah Dubrinsky was a mistress of illusion, a world-famous magician capable of mesmerizing millions. But there was one-Gregori, the Dark One-who held her in terrifying thrall. Whose cold silver eyes and heated sensuality sent shivers of danger, of desire, down her slender spine.
With a dark magic all his own, Gregori-the implacable hunter, the legendary healer, the most powerful of Carpathian males-whispered in Savannah's mind that he was her destiny. That she had been born to save his immortal soul. And now, here in New Orleans, the hour had finally come to claim her. To make her completely his. In a ritual as old as time . . . and as inescapable as eternity.
Young Savannah Dubrinsky was a mistress of illusion, a world-famous magician capable of mesmerizing millions. But there was one-Gregori, the Dark One-who held her in terrifying thrall. Whose cold silver eyes and heated sensuality sent shivers of danger, of desire, down her slender spine.
With a dark magic all his own, Gregori-the implacable hunter, the legendary healer, the most powerful of Carpathian males-whispered in Savannah's mind that he was her destiny. That she had been born to save his immortal soul. And now, here in New Orleans, the hour had finally come to claim her. To make her completely his. In a ritual as old as time . . . and as inescapable as eternity.
Dark Descent---Christine Feehan (A)
Dark Descent tells the story of Joie Sanders, a bodyguard and Traian Trigovise, an ancient hunter, meeting after a battle in a deep cave filled with mystery and wonder. Set in the Carpathian Mountains, Joie, with her brother and sister go caving and come across the ancient warrior beset upon by several vampires. They have no choice but to throw their lot in with the hunter and do their best to escape with their lives from the underground labyrinth filled with ancient traps left behind by a powerful race.
Blood Lines---Tanya Huff (A)
Sealed away through unending centuries in a sarcophagus never meant to be opened, he had patiently waited for the opportunity to live again, for the chance to feed on the unwary and grow strong. Now, at last, the waiting had come to an end. Brought to the Egyptology Department of Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum, the seals and spells that imprisoned him shipped away by his discoverers, he reached forth to claim the minds and souls of the unsuspecting city dwellers, to begin building an empire for himself and his god. And only three people had even the hint that anything was wrong.
For Henry Fitzroy, 450-year-old vampire, it began with a haunting, inescapable image of the sun, a terrifying symbol of death to one such as he. Fearing for his sanity, he called upon his sometime-lover and comrade in supernatural investigations, ex-cop Vicki Nelson, for help. And even as the two struggled to cope with Henry's obsession, Vicki's closest friend and former partner, Police Detective Mike Celluci was following up on two mysterious deaths at the museum, certain he was looking at murders, not accidents -- and equally convinced that the killer was a mummy brought back from the dead!
Danse Macabre---Laurell K. Hamilton (A+)
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED WITH ANITA BLAKE, VAMPIRE HUNTER
"It was the middle of November. I was supposed to be out jogging, but instead I was sitting at my breakfast table talking about men, sex, werewolves, vampires, and that thing that most unmarried but sexually active women fear most . . ."
These days, Anita Blake is less interested in vampire politics than in an ancient, ordinary dread she shares with women down the ages: she may be pregnant. And, if she is, whether the father is a vampire, a werewolf, or someone else entirely, she knows perfectly well that being a Federal Marshal known for raising the dead and being a vampire executioner, is no way to bring up a baby.
Twelve Sharp---Janet Evanovich (A)
America’s favorite bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, is back in her twelfth bestseller and sure to win more fans than ever before. Trenton, New Jersey’s premier troublemaker is once again struggling with her tangled love life, her chaotic family, and her gift for destroying every car she drives. Not to mention her attempts to bring in the sometimes scary bail jumpers of Trenton, and the sudden appearance of a mysterious female stalker—who turns out to have a close connection to Ranger. Twelve Sharp has twists that will drive readers wild and prove that once again, for sheer reading entertainment, no one tops Janet Evanovich.
Angels Fall---Nora Roberts (A)
#1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts explores the wilds of the Grand Tetons-and the mysteries of love, murder, and madness-in her engrossing and passionate new novel.
Reece Gilmore has come a long way to see the stunning view below her. As the sole survivor of a brutal crime back East, she has been on the run, desperately fighting the nightmares and panic attacks that haunt her. Reece settles in Angel's Fist, Wyoming-temporarily, at least-and takes a job at a local diner. And now she's hiked this mountain all by herself. It was glorious, she thought, as she peered through her binoculars at the Snake River churning below.
Then Reece saw the man and woman on the opposite bank. Arguing. Fighting. And suddenly, the man was on top of the woman, his hands around her throat . . .
Enjoying a moment of solitude a bit farther down the trail is a gruff loner named Brody. But by the time Reece reaches him and brings him to the scene, the pair has vanished. When authorities comb the area where she saw the attack, they find nothing. No signs of struggle. No freshly turned earth. Not even a tire track.
And no one in Angel's Fist seems to believe her. After all, she's a newcomer in town, with a reputation for being jumpy and jittery-maybe even a little fragile. Maybe it's time to run again, to move on . . .
Reece Gilmore knows there's a killer in Angel's Fist, even if Brody, despite his seeming impatience and desire to keep her at arm's length, is the only one willing to believe her. When a series of menacing events makes it clear that someone wants her out of the way, Reece must put her trust in Brody-and herself-to find out if there is a killer in Angel's Fist before it's too late.
Reece Gilmore has come a long way to see the stunning view below her. As the sole survivor of a brutal crime back East, she has been on the run, desperately fighting the nightmares and panic attacks that haunt her. Reece settles in Angel's Fist, Wyoming-temporarily, at least-and takes a job at a local diner. And now she's hiked this mountain all by herself. It was glorious, she thought, as she peered through her binoculars at the Snake River churning below.
Then Reece saw the man and woman on the opposite bank. Arguing. Fighting. And suddenly, the man was on top of the woman, his hands around her throat . . .
Enjoying a moment of solitude a bit farther down the trail is a gruff loner named Brody. But by the time Reece reaches him and brings him to the scene, the pair has vanished. When authorities comb the area where she saw the attack, they find nothing. No signs of struggle. No freshly turned earth. Not even a tire track.
And no one in Angel's Fist seems to believe her. After all, she's a newcomer in town, with a reputation for being jumpy and jittery-maybe even a little fragile. Maybe it's time to run again, to move on . . .
Reece Gilmore knows there's a killer in Angel's Fist, even if Brody, despite his seeming impatience and desire to keep her at arm's length, is the only one willing to believe her. When a series of menacing events makes it clear that someone wants her out of the way, Reece must put her trust in Brody-and herself-to find out if there is a killer in Angel's Fist before it's too late.
White Lies---Linda Howard (A-)Nothing could have prepared Jay Granger for the arrival of two FBI agents at her door -- or for the news they brought. Her ex-husband, Steve, had been in a terrible accident that had left him gravely injured. The FBI needed Jay to confirm his identity.
The man Jay finds lying in the hospital bed is almost unrecognizable. Almost. Exhausted and afraid, Jay tentatively declares that he is Steve Crossfield. But the man who awakens from the coma is not at all as Jay remembers her husband. And he remembers nothing of their life together. Suddenly nothing is familiar. Not his appearance, not the intensity of his nature, not the desire that flashes between them. Who is this man? And will the discovery of his identity shatter the passion they share?
Blood Pact---Tanya Huff (A-)
It began with the call no daughter ever wants to get, the call that told private investigator Vicki Nelson her mother had died. Mrs. Nelson's coworker at the Queen's University Life Science Department told Vicki that the cause of death was a heart attack, and that they'd be waiting for her to arrive in Kingston to make the funeral arrangements. But what started as an all too normal personal tragedy soon became the most terrifying case of Vicki's career. For when Marjory Nelson's body mysteriously disappeared from the funeral home, Vicki, her sometime lover and fellow investigator, vampire Henry Fitzroy, and her former homicide squad partner, Detective-Sergeant Mike Celluci, realized that there was something unnatural about her mother's demise. Vicki swore she'd find the culprit, and see that her mother was properly laid to rest. But what she hadn't counted on was that someone at Queen's University seemed determined to keep Mrs. Nelson on the job -- alive or dead!
Colliding Forces---Constance O'Day-Flannery (A-)
Deborah Stark is a newscaster with ambition to spare and a take-no-prisoners attitude when it comes to love. Her latest whirlwind affair with the darkly sexy Marcus ends with D. never expecting to see him again. Then her mother dies right before Thanksgiving and Marcus shows up on the doorstep of D.'s childhood home in New Jersey--and the ice around her heart cracks a little.
But for D., work comes first. She's deep into a story about corruption throughout the highest levels of the company that owns her Philadelphia television station, and not even the hint of true love can distract her.
Marcus has secrets--about the mysterious Foundation he works for, about his ability to shape-shift--secrets D. isn't ready to hear. But when D. realizes that Marcus is too aware of what she's investigating to be an innocent bystander, she knows she must accept his truths. For only with Marcus's help will D. survive long enough to expose corruption . . . and claim love.
But for D., work comes first. She's deep into a story about corruption throughout the highest levels of the company that owns her Philadelphia television station, and not even the hint of true love can distract her.
Marcus has secrets--about the mysterious Foundation he works for, about his ability to shape-shift--secrets D. isn't ready to hear. But when D. realizes that Marcus is too aware of what she's investigating to be an innocent bystander, she knows she must accept his truths. For only with Marcus's help will D. survive long enough to expose corruption . . . and claim love.
Unfinished Business---Nora Roberts (A-)
She wanted answers from her estranged mother and went home to find them. But Vanessa Sexton also found Brady Tucker, the man who'd once broken her heart . . . and still left her breathless.
She wanted answers from her estranged mother and went home to find them. But Vanessa Sexton also found Brady Tucker, the man who'd once broken her heart . . . and still left her breathless.
Island of Flowers---Nora Roberts (A)
Innocent Laine Simmons journeyed to Hawaii to get to know the father she hadn't seen in years. Was she ready to face her past -- and find her future in the arms of her father's sexy partner, Dillon O'Brian?
Innocent Laine Simmons journeyed to Hawaii to get to know the father she hadn't seen in years. Was she ready to face her past -- and find her future in the arms of her father's sexy partner, Dillon O'Brian?
Mind Over Matter---Nora Roberts (A-)
Protecting her mother's interests pitted no-nonsense Aurora Fields against a very determined David Brady. But there were few David couldn't charm if he set his mind to it -- and this time it really mattered.
